LIKED TO BE ALEXANDER THE GREAT!

NZ Truth, Issue 1176, 14 June 1928, Page 5

LIKED TO BE ALEXANDER THE GREAT!

Did Alexander Milne Squeeze Daughter's Throat Until Her False Teeth Protruded? WHY WHOLE FAMILY TURNED AGAINST FARMER (From "N.Z. Truth's" Palmerston North Representative.) Those who purport to speak from experience say that the first thirty years of married life are the worst, A word with Alexander Milne might establish the veracity or otherwise of -this contention. He has run the full distance, anyway. But the worst of it seems to have fallen on his wife.

CORTUNATELiT for hia x honor, Mr. L Justice Ostler, the Supreme Court, which deals very largely in divorce, is not obliged to answer such a question. At the Palmerston North Supreme Court last week, Alexander Milne, farmer, of Woodville, petitioned that his wife, Ellen Milne, should be- ordered to return to the family fold — or what remained of it. This is what his honor had to say when refusing the petition: "I have grave doubts; indeed, of the bona fides of petitioner in bringing this suit. "I feel that it Is not brought with the genuine desire of reconciliation, but with some mean motive of getting out of the pitiful and Inadequate allowance he Is now making his wife. "The facts brought out make it absolutely impossible for me to grant the order." The petitioner, Milne, counselled by Lawyer M. Smith, of Pahiatua, told the court that he was married on March 29, 1888, at Wellington, and there were ten children of the union. He was nearly 70 years of age. * There was no serious breach in 'the family relations until 1912, when he made the suggestion that his daughter Maggie should contribute toward the household expenses, in view of the fact that ahe was getting a good salary. The girl refused and the mother took her part. • Milne said he then took up the attitude that, if she did not help, she could go and board somewhere else. On his return home that night, he found that both his 'wife and daughter had gone. They stayed away until one of his sons persuaded them to go back. Relations were never the same after that. In November, 1926, he arrived home one evening to find his wife and daughter in bed together. When he entered the room, his wife called out to one of the sons, who "took to him and knocked him out." When he came to, he went to his bedroom, but — realizing that, as there was no lock on the door, he might be subject to further attacks — he decided to get something to barricade himself in with. The axe was the first thing that caught his ' eye on going outside; he picked it up arid went inside again. Tying Up Father However, three sons rushed him from behind and tied him up until a policeman came and untied him. "Did Mrs. Milne leave you after that?" asked counsel. Petitioner: "No. We got along all right and there was no further quarrel." Well, when did the next row start?- — She went away and left me without notice. She went to Kumoroa to stay with a daughter, but when I went to see her they woufdn't fet me in,. Continuing, petitioner stated that towards the end of 1917 his wife took 1 maintenance proceedings against him. In July, 1918, they agreed to separate. Milne denied having threatened his wife with violence. The quarrel when he was tied up was between himself and his boys. He had given her a home as good as he could afford. His wife was a hot-tempered, hysterical woman, and he found it best to say nothlnfe when she was like that. However, he had a genuine desire that she should return home, as it would be a good thing tor both of them. He blamßd hia wife for turning tha children against him. Lawyer Rolling, counsel tor Mrs. Milne, then asked some questions. Isn't it a fact that' this troublo was caused by your corning home drunk? — . It depends upon what you mean. Farmers generally have a, few drinks. Milne's counsel / objected to the question, ns' the wife only cited cruelty in her cross-petition for separation. His honor, however, allowed the question to be put, as men "under the influence" were often cruel, he said. v Counsel: Didn't you go into your daughter's bedroom and use abusive language? — No. Nor throw lighted paper under her bed?— No. Why did your wife call out to the boys, then? — I don't know. And, you got the axe to barricade your door from the inside? — Yes. Why, then, did the boys do such ' a foolish thing as to tie you up?— They must have thought I had evil intentions. In answer to further questions, Milne denied having struck his wife with a bucket while in the cow-bails, pulling her around the kitchen by the hair, lighting ' fires outside his daughter's bedroom when she was ill and threatening to burn them all in bed.

Counsel; You then got B, broom and swept the fire out? — No. And then pushed the broom through the window? — No. And when your wife left home, you told her that she could get to — out of it? — I have no recollection. Have you any recollection of Currie's sale?— A faint one. ..-..• And you came home drunk?— (Smiles from Milne). And you. went to bed with a loaded »,gun? — (Further smiles). "Did you threaten . your wife with a razor, call her a lazy In front of your children and call her foul names?" Milne denied the accusations? He also denied throwing his meals on the floor to r annoy his wife and grabbing her by the throat. He alleged that the family had the stage all set for a further attack on him. One day his daughter barred the door. When he pushed her aside the mother sang out to the boys, who all came over from the cow-bails in a string. . I

"I then departed," added Milne. He denied that his sons had worked for him fop years without wages. Counsel: After the youngest boy became 16 you only sent your wife £1 per week. Did you think that enough? —If she wanted more she could have come home. "I don't admire that attitude," remarked the judge. Counsel: You sent your wife a note written on the back of a dirty used envelope, in 1925. You told, her in the note that your health made it imperative that you should make your will, but could not do that until you got a divorce? — Yes. Do you think that shows a friendly attitude towards her? — (No answer). What caused you to withdraw your divorce proceedings? — There was some informality, I think: "There was a defence. That's what stopped you!" ' As Milne had no further evidence to offer, his wife entered the witness-box

in support of a plea for judicial separation. She said she remembered her husband returning from town one day as she was carrying: water to the calves. He peered into her face, and said: "Where are all your bullies, mum?" meaning the boys. She didn't answer him and walked away. Later he asked the same question, and she told him to get away to bed, as he was drunk. "He then caught me by the throat," added respondent, "and when Maggie picked up a stick, he seised her by the throat as well and squeezed it until her false teeth protruded." The boys came up from the bails, whereupon petitioner got out a knife. The daughter said she couldn't stand any more and was going away. Milne himself went inside, and later witness found him sitting on the edge of the bed with a gun in his hands. He said he was going to shoot the . The daughter, went , for the police and witness made up her mind to leave that night. She went! In 1912 she had also been forced to leave him. Her husband had complained that he was keeping three women loafing about the place. "I called him a liar," said witness, "whereupon he caught me by the hair and pulled me around the table.. He ordered me out of the place and I went. He also said I could go to — — and he would make it too hot if I came back." "Were you hot-tempered?" asked counsel. ' "Once I was as a result of his continual nagging." ' •••.»■•■<•• Counsel: What about the night of Currie's sale ?— He was drunk and there were many things he said. When he went to bed there was a gun by his side. " "He said he would shoot the lot of us. It was quite a common occurrence for him to threaten us in this way." And what happened on the night of Ross' presentation? — He came home after 10 p.m. My daughter wasnlt well and I stayed in her room until he came home, He used filthy language- and threw burning paper under , the bed, when the daughter sang out to the boys. There was a scuffle when they came, then all was quiet until the A Crowbar Attack petitioner secured a shovel ana other things. The boys then pinioned his arms and the daughter went for Mr. Wilson, whiie a boy went for the police. •::.•.. The wife instanced other occasions •of cruelty, such as the pitching of stones and bricks on to the roof at eleven o'clock at night and the setting of fires against .the doors. Most of the farm work was done by the boys and girls. , Just prior to leaving home in 1912, her husband had knocked her . down with a crorvhstf. The mark was still on the back of her head. Even when sober, her husband wasnot very agreeable. She didn't want, to leave him, but found it unsafe to stay. His Honor: Are you prepared to go back? — I am afraid to. His actions have given me no hope of things being better. ' , William John Wilson, farmer, of Woodville, testified that when Milne passed his house on his ' way home, sometimes he would be sober and some-; times not. Twice^ he was. called to the Milne farmhotise to restorfe Order..' • Wilson described Mrs. Milne as "ona of the beat"— -a good woman and far trom lazy. ■ ... George Milne, son ,oi the parties, said th.it as long as he could remember his father had referred to his mother as Ui/./ and wasteful. / He was always bickering and not one of the eight children, of the family remaining alive was on friendly terms with him. All were agreed that it would not be safe for their mother to. continue to live with their father. His honor ruled out the contention of Milne's counsel that the separation petition had been lodged too late to be legally effective, remarking that while it was true that delay was a bar to a suit for judicial separation, in his opinion the wife's explanation was sufficient for him to dismiss the point. A suit for divorce had _ hung over her head for two years before, it was finally withdrawn and then these restitution proceedings were instituted. That was sufficient justification for her to ask the court to intervene and put her in a position where she was safe from Milne and with adequate maintenance. Costs ' were given on the highest I scale against petitioner.